Golf shoe spike cleaner



Dec.'30, 1958 M. c. RANSEEN GOLF SHOE SPIKE CLEANER Filed Feb. 16, 1956 I s //s llnited States Patent 6 2,866,218 GOLF SHOE SPIKE CLEANER Mauritz C. Ranseen, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application February 16, 1956, Serial No. 565,889

11 Claims. (Cl. 15-237) This invention relates to devices for removing dirt and foreign matter from the bottom of golf shoes and more particularly for removing such dirt that has become compacted and hardened between and around the spikes secured thereto.

Golf shoe spikes are secured to the shoe sole in closely spaced relation and are provided to give a golfer nonslip footing thereby enabling him to execute his shots with confidence and efiiciency under varying degrees of ground contours. The closely spaced spikes, however, readily accumulate dirt and enmeshed grass especially when playing on wet ground such as after a rain or early morning dew. Subsequently, upon completing a round of golf, the golfer removes his shoes and stows them in his locker or in the trunk of his car until his next game. The accumulated dirt then hardens into a compact, integrated mass and unless removed, when play is again resumed, the efilciency of the golf shoe for maintaining firm footing is materially reduced.

The object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an efiicient and simple device for removing dirt and foreign matter from the soles of spiked golf shoes.

A feature of the present invention is to provide a device adapted to be positioned and maintained upon a single shoe spike whereby the spike acts as a guide member thus enabling the device to be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the spike, thereby to facilitate removal of the dirt from the spike and the shoe sole adjacent thereto.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a spike cleaner including opposed, spaced apart scraper blades adapted to straddle a golf shoe spike in guided relation therewith whereby the scraper blades are disposed in radial alignment with the vertical axis of the spike.

A particular feature of the device of the instant invention is the provision of guide means adapted to receive the terminal of the spike, said guide means comprising opposed portions offset from the plane of the scraper blades and the body of the device thereby providing a non-clogging socket for receiving the spike terminal.

Other features of the device include scraper blades having scraping edges disposed at an angle to coincide with the angle of the upper surface of the spike flange; scraper blades having pointed terminal extremities for facilitating penetration of the scraper blades into the compacted dirt; spacedapart scraper blades wherein the spacing between the blades is such as to allow the blades to straddle the spike shoulder thus enabling the scraper blade edges to engage the spike flange; a scraper device disposed in guided relation upon a shoe spike and adapted for rocking movement thereon; a spike cleaner adapted for use with spikes of varying sizes and configurations; and a unitary spike cleaner formed from a single piece of rigid sheet material.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing the preferred form of the device of the invention in straddled position over a shoe spike with a portion of the guide means of the device in engagement with the terminal of the spike;

Figure 2 is a similar view wherein the scraper blades of the device are shown having penetrated the impacted dirt and being disposed in scraping position upon the spike flange;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 of the device only;

Figure 5 is a plan sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 5-5 of Figure 2 on an enlarged scale;

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of a scraper device of modified form; and

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional View on the line 77 of Figure 6.

Golf shoe spikes, per se, vary somewhat in size and configuration, depending largely upon the type or size of shoe to which they are secured. Thus, a ladys golf shoe generally has smaller spikes than those on a mans golf shoe. However, the spike structure is basically the same and comprises a tapered terminal 3, flange portion 4 and a threaded stem portion 5 whereby the spike is secured to the shoe sole 6. The flange portion 4 is of a flat conical configuration wherein the upper surface thereof tapers from a thickened central portion to a relatively thin peripheral edge. Relatively large spikes, as shown in Figure l, have a reinforcing shoulder '7 at the base of the terminal 3. This shoulder is sometimes not provided on the smaller spikes used on wo-mens shoes. Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings illustrate a spike assembly (in dotted lines) used on some shoes wherein a relatively thick reinforcing shoulder 7a is provided. a

In the selected embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, there is illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, a golf shoe spike cleaner formed from a single flat blank of rigid material, preferably sheet metal, although other material may be used if deemed practical. The device, shown in front elevation in Figure 1, comprises a main body portion 8 of a size enabling it to be readily held in the fingers for rotative movement upon the shoe spike. In operative position the device is disposed with the longitudinal axis of the device in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the shoe spike, it being understood that a golf shoe removed from the foot may be held in the hand during the spike cleaning operation or such dirt removal may be accomplished while the shoe remains on the foot. Thus, the drawings depict the position of the device in relation to the shoe spike and not, specifically, the position of the shoe during such operation.

The lower end of the body member 8, as viewed in Figure 1, is provided with spaced apart scraper blades 9 and 11 disposed in the plane of the body member 8. The blades 9 and 11 are provided with terminal points 12 and 13, respectively, from which points the scraper blade edges 14 and 15 extend inwardly and upwardly to form a juncture with the spaced apart vertical edges 16 and 17 respectively, as shown. The vertical edges 16 and 17 extend upwardly to the lower edge of a relatively narrow band portion 18 the median portion of which is offset rearwardly (as viewed in Figure 1) from the plane of the body member 8. Thus, the rearwardly offset band portion 18 forms a substantially semi-circular guide element adapted to initially engage the upper end of the terminal 3 of the shoe spike as shown in Figure 1.

Immediately above the guide element 18 a portion of the body member 8 is offset forwardly (as viewed in Figure 1) to form a substantially semi-circular conical guide element 19 adapted to engage the spike terminal 3 on the side opposite that engaged by the guide element 18 as shown in Figure 3. Thus the oppositely offset elements 18 and 19 form a composite guide member providing, in effect, a socket adapted to receive the terminal 3 of the shoe .spike as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3.

As shown in Figure l the device is initially positioned with the guide element 18 in engagement with the upper end of the shoe spike terminal 3. As the guide element 18 is offset from the plane of the scraper blades 9 and 11 the blades will thus straddle the shoe spike and will be disposed in substantially radial alignment with the vertical axis of the spike and thus in diametrically opposed relation to each other, as shown in Figure 5. Thus the offset guide element 18 provides means whereby the device may be positioned in operative relation to the spike with the pointed extremities 12 and 13 of the scraper blades 9 and 11, respectively, engaging the dirt adjacent the terminal 3. The pointed extremities 12 and 13 greatly facilitate penetration of the scraper blades into the compacted dirt when downward pressure is exerted upon the body member 8.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3 the device has been forced downwardly through the compacted dirt 10 so that the scraper blade edges 14 and 15 are in engagement with the flange of the shoe spike, it being noted that the angle of the scraper blade edges coincide substantially to the angle of the upper surface of the spike flange 4 when disposed in operative relation therewith. During downward movement of the device from the position of Figure 1 the rearwardly offset guide member portion 18 will slide on the spike terminal 3 whereby the forwardly offset guide member portion 19, disposed at an elevation above the guide member portion 18, will subsequently be positioned to engage the upper end of the terminal 3 as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Thus the oppositely offset guide member portions 18 and 19 form a composite socket for receiving the spike terminal 3 whereby the device is disposed in guided relation upon the spike and adapted for rotative movement about the vertical axis thereof. Upon rotation of the device the scraper blades 9 and 11, engaging the upper surface of the spike flange 4, will remove the dirt therefrom and the dirt on the shoe sole adjacent thereto.

To facilitate removal of the hard, impacted dirt around the spike and adjacent thereto the device is adapted for rocking movement upon the spike after the penetration of the dirt has been accomplished. Thus, as shown in Figure 3, the upper end of the body member 8 may be rocked back and forth, as indicated by the dotted lines, the engagement of the spike terminal 3 between the guide elements 18 and 19 being loose enough to allow such rocking movement. Thus, as the device fulcrums upon the spike terminal the ends of the scraper blades, which are disposed below the fulcruming points, will also rock and thus break apart the impacted dirt, as indicated at 21 in Figure 5, whereby rotation of the device as indicated by the arrow will be greatly facilitated.

As noted in Figures 1 and 2 the inner edges of the scraper blades, defined by the opposed vertical edges 16 and 17, are spaced apart to provide a recess into which the shoulder 7 of the spike terminal extends. The relative thickness and diameter of the shoulder 7 varies with the size of spike and with different manufacturers and some smaller spikes dispense with the shoulder entirely. A composite, fabricated spike, indicated in dotted lines in Figure 7, embodies a heavy shoulder 7a. Thus, the recess in the present device, defined by the vertical edges 16 and 17 and the lower edge of the guide portion 18 is designed to accommodate spike shoulders of varying sizes whereby the device may be utilized for removing dirt from spikes of varying configurations. It is also to be noted thatthe central recess, provided by the spaced apart scraper blades, provides visual guide means for initially 4 positioning the guide elements 18 and 19 in operative relation to the spike terminal 3.

The spacing between the outer edges of the scraper blades, defined by the terminal points 12 and 13 thereof, is narrow enough to readily allow the device to be rotated upon a spike without engagement with adjacent spikes.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate an embodiment of the invention wherein the device comprises a plate-like body member 22 having terminal scraper blades 23 and 24 disposed in the plane of the body member 22. A median portion or strap member 25 extends downwardly and rearwardly from its juncture 26 with the body member 22 (as viewed in Figure 6) and a terminal portion 27 thereof is bent forwardly at right angled relation to the plane of the body member 22 with a portion thereof extending forwardly from said plane, as shown in Figure 7. Thus, the terminal portion 27 is disposed between the scraper blades 23 and 24 in right angled relation thereto.

An aperture or socket 28 is provided in the terminal portion 27 said aperture being disposed in the plane of the scraper blades 23 and 24 and the body member 22. Thus, when the device is positioned with the spike terminal 3 received in the socket 28 the scraper blades 23 and 24 will be disposed in straddling relation upon the spike and disposed in opposed radial relation thereto. With downward pressure exerted upon the device the apertured terminal portion 27 will act as guide means and whereby the device may be rotated upon the spike. The spike terminal 3 is disposed in guided relation in the terminal portion 27 with sufficient clearance to allow rocking movement of the device as described with reference to the device of Figures 1-5.

The apertured terminal portion 27 is disposed on.a plane above the lower ends of the spaced apart scraper blades 23 and 24- whereby a recess is provided between the blades for receiving the shoulder 7a of the spike as shown.

Thus, the devices of the invention herein disclosed embody a rigid body member having a lower end scraping portion and guide means for maintaining the device in operative relation upon the golf shoe spike whereby the scraping portion is maintained in scraping relation to the spike flange.

It is apparent that many modifications and variations of this invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. The specific embodiments described are given by way of example only and the invention is limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1.,A golf shoe spike cleaner comprising a generally flat rigid body member adapted to be readily held between thumb and forefinger, spaced apart scraper blades having scraping edges disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to each other in the plane of the body member at one end thereof, and a central guide means between said scraper blades including encircling means adapted when the cleaner is in cleaning position on the spike to extend around and fit over the spike and engage a golf shoe spike to hold said cleaner perpendicular to the base of a golf shoe spike in all planes as the cleaner is rotated about the spike.

2. A golf shoe spike cleaner according to claim 1 further characterized in that said scraper blades are provided with terminal points at their outer edges to facilitate penetration of the scraper blades into compacted.

dirt and generally inwardly and slightly upwardly extending blade edges whereby the scraper blades conform socket being generally along the longitudinal axis of the body member.

4. A golf shoe spike cleaner according to claim 3 further characterized in that said guide means includes a pair of spaced apart vertical edges extending upward from the innermost edges of said scraper blades to a relatively narrow horizontal band, the median portion of which is offset to one side from the plane of the body member to form a semi-circular guide element, and a second generally semi-circular guide element positioned immediately above said first named guide element and offset on the opposite side from the plane of the body, both of said guide elements in combination being adapted to fit over the terminal of a golf shoe spike and rotate thereon.

5. A golf shoe spike cleaner according to claim 4 further characterized in that said second guide member is generally semi-circular and conical in form.

6. A golf shoe spike cleaner according to claim 1 further characterized in that said body member is metal.

7. A golf shoe spike cleaner comprising a generally flat rigid body member adapted to be readily held between thumb and forefinger for rotation on a golf shoe spike, a pair of spaced apart scraper blades disposed in the plane of the body member at one end thereof, terminal points at the outer edges of said scraper blades to facilitate penetration of the scraper blades into compacted dirt, said scraper blades having generally inwardly and slightly upwardly extending blade edges to conform generally with the contour of the spike flange, said blade edges terminating at their inner ends in a pair of vertical spaced apart edges, a relatively narrow horizontal band extending between said vertical edges, the median portion of said band being offset to one side from the plane of the body member to form a semi-circular guide element, a generally semi-circular conical guide element positioned immediately above said first named guide element and offset on the opposite side from the plane of the body, both of said guide elements in combination being adapted to form a socket to fit over the terminal of a golf shoe spike and rotate thereon, the longitudinal axis of said socket being generally along the longitudinal axis of the body member.

8. A golf shoe spike cleaning device comprising a rigid body member adapted to be readily held at its upper end between the thumb and forefinger, the lower end of said member having an edge scraping portion adapted for scraping relation with the upper surface of the spike flange, guide means on said body member adjacent said edge scraping portion including encircling means adapted when the cleaner is in cleaning position on the spike to extend around and fit over the spike and engage the shoe spike terminal in guided relation therewith whereby 6 when said device is disposed in operative relation upon the spike said device may be rotated about the longitudinal axis thereof, said guide means maintaining said edge scraping portion in scraping relation to the spike flange.

9. A golf shoe spike cleaning device comprising means to be grasped between the thumb and forefinger, scraping means adapted for scraping relation with the upper surface of the spike flange, guide means adjacent said scraping means including encircling means adapted when the cleaner is in cleaning position on the spike to extend around and fit over the spike and engage the shoe spike terminal in guided relation therewith whereby when said device is disposed in operative relation upon the spike said device may be rotated, said guide means maintaining said scraping means in scraping relation to said spike flange.

10. A golf shoe spike cleaning device comprising a rigid body member adapted to be grasped between the thumb and forefinger, the lower end of said member having a scraping portion adapted for scraping reiation with the upper surface of the spike flange, guide means on said body member adjacent said scraping portion including encircling means adapted when the cleaner is in cleaning position on the spike to extend around and 1 fit over the spike and engage the shoe spike terminal in guided relation therewith whereby when said device is disposed in operative relation upon the spike said device may be rotated thereon, said guide means maintaining said scraping portion in scraping relation to the spike flange.

11. A golf spike cleaning device formed from a single piece of rigid sheet material comprising a body portion adapted to be readily held at its upper end between the thumb and forefinger, the lower end of said body member having a scraping edge portion adapted to engage the upper surface of the spike flange, guide means adjacent the lower end of said body member including encircling means adapted when the cleaner is in cleaning position on the spike to extend around and fit over the spike and receive the shoe spike terminal in guided relation therewith whereby said device may be rotated upon the spike, said guide means maintaining said scraping edge portion in scraping relation to the spike flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,028,170 Scott Jan. 21, 1936 2,461,639 Grigalunas Feb. 15, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 242,550 Great Britain Nov. 12, 1925 

